INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2013

Resources from Carnegie Council

In honor of International Women's Day on March 8, we present a selection of Carnegie Council's resources on women.

To start on a high note, we begin with some inspiring stories of progress. But the struggle is not over. We move on to accounts of how far we still have to go before women enjoy equal rights, freedom of choice, and freedom from fear.

EMPOWERING WOMEN: STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLDBanking on Themselves: Self-Help Groups Empower Poor Rural WomenRaji Ajwani-Ramchandani,Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development, Pune, IndiaMicrofinance groups have helped the women of Chimbali village in India overcome the constraints of physical access to banks, lack of education, and social taboos to build vibrant lives. (Policy Innovations article, September 2012.)

Women and MicrofinanceSusan Davis, U.S. arm of BRAC, the World's Largest Development Agency Davis explains how microfinance grew out of "a movement for social justice and women's empowerment and equality" into a "tool for income generation and productive loans." (Video clip from A Conversation with Microfinance Pioneer Susan Davis, Ethics Matter, June 2011. Video, audio, transcript.)

The Girl EffectSwan Paik, Nike Foundation Women and girls are a powerful accelerator for change, says Paik. By allowing girls to fall through irreversible trap doors in adolescence, the world is missing out on the tremendous potential that they have to offer. (Just Business Interview, February 2011. Audio, transcript.)

Women in GhanaSusan Aryeetey, International Federation of Women Lawyers in Ghana (FIDA-Ghana) Aryeetey discusses her work empowering women in Ghana. (Ethics in Business Interview, December 2010. Audio, transcript.)

India: A Chance to DreamShilpa Raj, 12th grade student "The Shanti Bhavan school helped erase my illiteracy through an education not confined to the pages of a textbook; an education demanding open-mindedness; an education not tainted by prejudices based on gender or caste." (Policy Innovations article, August 2010.)

Handcrafting JusticeHandCrafting Justice (HCJ) a project of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd The women of this jungle village in Peru were displaced by the guerilla warfare of the Maoist Shining Path. They resettled in the slums of Lima with few prospects or belongings. Today their community endures despite its hardships, and prospers due to the markets that HandCrafting Justice finds for its artisanal products. (Policy Innovations article, January 2007.)

Give Bpeace a ChanceMatthew Hennessey, Carnegie Council The Business Council for Peace helps women build businesses in regions ravaged by war. They believe in a simple, innovative equation: Women + Business = Peace. More than 200 Western business professionals volunteer their time, talent, and accumulated wisdom to mentor budding entrepreneurs in conflict zones. (Policy Innovations article, February 2007.)

GREAT STEPS FORWARD, BUT MANY MORE TO GO

Microinequalities Inflicted on WomenSamantha Brennan, University of Western Ontario Why is it that a woman can lead a country, yet women are slower to be served in coffee shops? In the West, women and men share equal status under the law. But in countless practical ways, women experience inequality on a daily basis. (Public Ethics Radio, February 2012. Audio, transcript.)Women in Foreign PolicyAnne-Marie Slaughter, Statesperson and scholar Anne-Marie Slaughter describes the challenges women face in foreign policy as well as the advances women have made in the field. (Video clip from A Conversation with Anne-Marie Slaughter, Ethics Matter, February 2012. Video, audio, transcript)

Las PresidentasJulia Taylor Kennedy, Carnegie Council A new era in Latin America or status quo in another form? While female politicians' success in Latin American elections is laudable, this trend does not necessarily herald either the end of machismo or a new dawn for women's liberation in the region. (Carnegie Ethics Online article, December 2010.)

The United Nations and Gender: Has Anything Gone Right?Stephen Lewis,Canadian politician, diplomat, UN special envoy The UN's response to women's issues has been abysmal, declares Lewis, particularly in dealing with HIV/AIDS. In order to give 52 percent of the world's population the representation they deserve, it's time to create a special UN Women's Agency. (Public Affairs Program, February 2009. Video, audio, transcript.)

The Ethics of CareFiona Robinson, Carleton UniversityCare is not only a moral issue, but also a feminist one, says Robinson, noting that two-thirds of care around the world is done by women, for little or no pay. She also discusses the evolving concept of human security. (Ethics & International Affairs Interview, February 2009. Video, audio, transcript.)

Instituto PromundoGary Barker, Instituto Promundo Promundo, a Brazilian NGO, works with partner organizations in several countries to identify and understand those men who are finding new ways to interact with women. It carries out research to understand how it is that some men and boys come to question their privilege and power, and in the process treat their female partners differently. (Policy Innovations article, January 2007.)

TO HAVE OR HAVE NOT? REPRODUCTION

Millions of Poor Women Are Still Waiting to Reap the Benefits of CairoBarbara Crossette, journalist and authorThe 1994 Cairo conference put reproductive choice in the hands of women, but women living in poverty need more than empty pledges so that they too can take part in saving the Earth. (Article, part of Sustainability Forum: The Population and Sustainability Debate, September 2011.)

Family Planning Can Succeed Even in Very Traditional SocietiesJohn Bongaarts, Population Council, and Steven Sinding, population expert Experiments in the Matlab district of Bangladesh demonstrate that access to high-quality contraception and family planning is successful even in very traditional societies, bringing widespread benefit. (Article, Part of Sustainability Forum: The Population and Sustainability Debate, September 2011.)

New Reproductive Technologies Are Not a PanaceaMara Hvistendahl, journalist and author Investing in the future of women would have been more expensive than providing methods for reducing their numbers, and it would have taken longer to yield results; but it would have been a good in itself. (Article, part of Sustainability Forum: The Population and Sustainability Debate, September 2011.)

Women's Rights are KeyLaurie Mazur, author Women's rights are key to achieving a sustainable population. Fertility rates remain high where women's status is low. (Article, part of Sustainability Forum: The Population and Sustainability Debate, September 2011.)

Maternal MortalityLisa Oldring, GAVI Fund Board "Reproductive health problems are the leading cause of death for women of reproductive age in developing countries," says Oldring. "Over half a million women die from pregnancy-related causes each year." (Video clip from Workshop for Ethics in Business: Health as a Human Right, December 2008. Video, audio, transcript )

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Sexual Violence in India: From Punishment to DeterrenceA brutal gang rape on a New Delhi bus in December 2012 has sparked global outrage and national soul-searching in India. Many are calling for the death penalty for the rapists, but is this the answer? What can India do to prevent rape in the short and long term? (Global Ethics Corner, January 2013. Video, audio, transcript.)

Culture in CongoSaleem H. Ali, University of Vermont It is high time the international community confront the elephant in the room when talking about Congo and violence against women worldwide: culture. (Policy Innovations article, February 2010.)

Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern SlaverySiddharth Kara, Free the Slaves Drawing on his background in finance and economics, Siddharth Kara investigates the mechanics of the global sex trafficking business and takes stock of its devastating human toll. (Global Policy Innovations, January 2009. Video, audio, transcript.)

Book Review: Are Women Human? And Other International Dialogues by Catherine A. MacKinnonReviewed byClare Chambers, University of CambridgeMacKinnon's fundamental claim is that the violence and abuse routinely inflicted on women by men is not treated with the same seriousness accorded to a human rights violation, or torture, or terrorism, or a war crime, or a crime against humanity, or an atrocity. (Ethics & International Affairs article, March 2007.)

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